“The first of all our consolations is that of having faithfuly fulfilled our duties; the next the approbation and good will of those who have witnessed it.”

–Thomas Jefferson, 1809

Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs supports the University’s primary purpose of enriching the minds and lives of its students, promoting the intellectual, cultural, personal and social development of students while enhancing their physical and psychological well-being. Student Affairs provides the invisible infrastructure that makes the student experience possible: a safety net that allows for risk taking; trained professionals who serve as champions, mentors and guides; and subtle prompts that push boundaries, challenge preconceptions and catalyze improbable relationships. For the division to extend the trust that makes the student experience possible, this infrastructure must be both robust and flexible. The Campaign for the University of Virginia has helped the Division of Student Affairs in its efforts to provide a solid foundation supporting the hallmarks of student life and a malleable delivery system constantly evolving to suit the needs of each generation of students.

Supported

The Trust Fund for Student Life

Launched in late 2012, the Trust Fund for Student Life is dedicated to protecting and preserving the U.Va. student experience. Once fully endowed at $10 million, the Trust Fund will protect the student experience in perpetuity, ensuring that University life will continue to be as vibrant, challenging and formative as it has been for countless generations of U.Va. students. Income from the fund will be deployed at the discretion of the vice president for student affairs to protect the hallmarks of the U.Va. student experience and allow our methods of delivery to evolve to meet the changing needs of our students.

Leadership 2000: Engaged Student Leaders Program (L2K)

U.Va. student leaders learn to lead by meeting the various challenges within their organizations. To prepare for this responsibility, the leaders of approximately 35 student organizations attend L2K, an intensive, one-week, U.Va.-tailored summer program. Thanks to generous gifts to the program, L2K helps participants enhance their leadership skills, increase their knowledge of U.Va. and develop relationships among themselves and with members of the University administration. Some student leaders attend an additional five-week internship to plan for the coming year. These students, who receive University housing, stipends and mentoring, work full time for organizations such as Residence Life, the Honor Committee or the Judiciary Committee.

Gifts at Work

The Gordie Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

In 2010, the Gordie Foundation of Dallas, Texas, merged with the University’s Center for Alcohol and Substance Education to create the Gordie Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. The center’s name honors the memory of Lynn Gordon “Gordie” Bailey Jr., who died of an alcohol overdose at the University of Colorado after a fraternity initiation ceremony in 2004. Seeking a permanent home for the foundation established in his memory, his parents selected the University of Virginia because of the caliber of its longstanding program. Under the Gordie Center, U.Va. efforts have been expanded to focus more directly on reducing the prevalence of alcohol overdose and hazing and enhancing bystander intervention training programs. The Gordie Center carries on many of the efforts created through the Gordie Foundation, including National GORDIEday (part of National Hazing Prevention Week) as well as marketing the documentary HAZE, which tells Gordie’s story as a framework for examining the larger issues of alcohol and hazing on campus. The Gordie Center is committed to ensuring that Gordie’s story continues to affect students by challenging attitudes about the true risks of hazing and alcohol use through the creation of the national Gordie’s Call campaign, which debuted with the GORDIEcheck/Blood Alcohol Content card.